Praise God for Legos

We spent MILLIONS of dollars on Legos kits when That Kid was a little boy and we saved them ALL so that he could have something of value when he grew up and eventually had kids. (i'm not in a hurry for this, mind you)....He had them stored in a see-thru rubber maid container in his room (mistake number 1- let little brother hang out in big brother's room)...well, That Other Kid was hanging out with him in his bedroom and lo and behold, "what's in that bucket," "oh, they're all my old Legos", "can I play with them", "sure, why not".....well we tried it and we had Legos EVERYWHERE...fast forward a few weeks he finds a couple of Lego pieces while looking for another toy, "hey, I wanna play with That Kids, Legos", "no," I say....I don't want another mess to clean...Dad steps in and says,"You can't scatter the Legos and you have to quit when mommy says it's time to quit playing", "ok, I promise". He does a good job and gives me an HOUR of peace and quiet to rest, last night. Fast forward to this morning...he starts playing with Legos at 8 a.m. and is STILL playing with them at 12:30 p.m. Now if I will just utilize this time for something productive instead of sleep, all will be good!

Please keep my mother and father-in-law in your prayers over the next couple of weeks, as they leave Tuesday for a cruise to Hawaii...ah, the joys of being retired!!

Blow It Day

Today I had a BLOW IT DAY....I only got 3 hours of sleep thanks to That Other Kid waking up at 5:20 a.m. to pee and not going back to sleep try as I may....then I had to shower at 6:30 a.m. to prepare to go to That Kid's hockey game. Needless to say I walked around like a zombie until I got some good Mexican food with lots of Coke and Chips and Salsa and then a 3 hour nap..... I can't remember when that happened! I felt refreshed and ready to at least tackle playing for a couple of hours.

We won our hockey game 2-1 so we are starting our league games off to a good start....but we played SLOPPY so the coach was not a happy camper!
They will be paying the price for that at this week's practices, but at least the team will learn that there are consequences to BAD CHOICES including playing sloppy. I think I'm really going to like this coach -- he wants these boys to learn from their mistakes early on. Kinda life in life, the earlier you learn these lessons the better off you are.

Well I need to go to bed....and try to catch up on my sleep --- hope That Other Kid doesn't need to pee tonight!!!

Mom's Overture by Anita Renfroe

Ya'll gotta see this....I'm sure you will relate to her hilarious view of mothering!

Weigh-In

I woke up feeling just as tired as when I went to bed last night and my leg muscles were very sore. My toe was feeling sore today, too so I decided to use today as my day off from exercise for the week. I decided to not beat myself up over it either which is unusual for me. I´m going to take this 1 day at a time and do the best I can. I did go to the gym tonight for my weigh-in. I lost 1 pound 2 ounces since Monday {2 days}, not bad all things considered.
I washed and dried a truck load of laundry today so now I need to get it folded, hung and put away, so no rest for the weary....that's how I feel today. I also need to do some school grading and recording, so I have a lot to do in the next couple of hours.
Until tomorrow....I pray you have rest and success in whatever you are doing.

Addictions and Weightloss

Did you know that you can be addicted to COKE, and I'm not talking about the cocaine kind of COKE? I'm talking about the Coke you buy at the local fast food place, in the 12 ounce can at the store, or the vending machine. You see I have become addicted to that little can of caffeine loaded sugar water and I'm starting to have major withdrawals since I have started the new weightloss challenge. Cokes cost me 600 or more calories a day because a coke isn't a coke unless it is at least a 32 ounces, ya know! Right now I can't afford 600 or more extra calories, cuz you know I need real food like protein, fruits and veggies. How do you deal with your weaknesses? I think I need a nap....
but on the bright side I did exercise both yesterday and today. I rode the stationary bike at the gym and did some crunches, since my broken toe that should have healed a month ago is still somewhat sore, I have to use caution with my choices for exercises.
Well I'm off to get a piece of fruit and take a nap (oh wait that's my dream)... real life says I need to clean the kitchen and prepare some food for dinner.

Weight Loss Goals

I´m starting over! Monday, September 24 is my starting point. I was doing so good for about 3 months, then I really fell off the wagon so to speak. But, I am sick of the way I look and feel ~ all the way from appearance to clothing. I don´t want to be this FAT anymore....soooo tonight I splurged and really went all out with JUNK. I had 3 large 32 oz cokes from Sonic and a big banana split, as well as a burger and fries. There will not be anymore of this kind of eating. I´m getting this weight OFF to stay!I´ll weigh myself tomorrow at the gym and try to get my body percents done too. This way I´ll know where I am starting off.My goal is to lose 10 pounds a month ~ 40 pounds by Christmas!



If you are interested in joining me in this journey there are a couple of web sites that I'm going to be using. The first is http://www.myfooddiary.com/ It is a journal type site that you pay $9 a month to record and document your weight loss, exercise, and daily food intake. Check it out, I think you'll like what you see. The 2nd site I'm using is actually a blog -- www.talesfromthescales.net It is a cool blog that helps us with our accountability. I have found that this is the most difficult aspect of losing weight consistantly....staying accountable.
If you want to join me in this journey, let me know and I'll keep in touch with you and we'll all do better because someone else is checking up on your progress.

Household Chores

Do you ever look around your house and say, "How did this place get to be such a disaster? We haven't been here long enough to make this much of a mess." I did this, this weekend. And I decided it was time to tackle at least some of it. The bathrooms were disgusting....they reminded me of some of those nasty old gas station bathrooms that we used to visit when I was a kid and we were on vacation. Mom would send your own roll of tp and tell you not to sit down on the seat. You get the idea....The bathtub needed a good scrubbing, including the purchase of a new shower liner to replace the moldy one;( and a anti-slip mat in the tub. It's nice to have a clean bathtub....Maybe I should keep it clean:) just a thought, huh?
Next on the agenda, try to clean the carpets some and then vacumn and dust the living room. After that I'm going to tackle the hardwood floors! Maybe if I'm so inclined I'll even clean the windows and get all the dead bug carcasses off the window sills.
Gosh, now I just need to get enough energy to do it all. I hope to have it all done in the next couple of day.
Of course, I still have lesson plans to finish up for That Kid for this week, and grade and record the stuff he did on Friday.
Hope you have a productive week....

Peace and Quiet

Do you ever just sit in your house and listen to the sounds of the air conditioner, computer keyboards clicking from typing and the noises the animals make? You should it is the most wonderful thing in the world after a noisy and busy day.
I'm getting one of the rare nights of peace and quiet. You see, That Other Kid is in bed sleeping, That Kid is working on a test for his job, dh is working in his office/master bedroom and I am just enjoying the peace. We usually have the tv on in the evenings; whether we are actually watching something or we have it on just for the noise, it is a rare night that is not on.
But, this week has been so busy and LOUD I decided I needed a night of peace. So the tv has been off since 8p.m. and I can't say I miss it. I will probably turn it on in a bit to catch the local evening news, but afterwards I'm going to turn it right off.
This is something God has been dealing with me on -- just sitting and enjoying the little moments of peace. They are from HIM and I WILL benefit from them.

I got an email from my friend today about supporting the National Breast Cancer Society by "clicking for mammograms". It's something I already do, but I'm going to try to put a link on my blog so you can do it if you don't already. This is to help pay for Mammograms for women who can't afford them. I am a BIG proponent of the Breast Cancer Society -- my grandma died of Breast Cancer, so it hits close to home. It is 1 of 2 annual tests I get done every year....see my other grandmother died of cervical/ovarian cancer. If you don't already get these 2 LOVELY tests done annually PLEASE start today! They could save your life.

Hockey and More

Ok, sorry to keep you guys hanging over the past few days. Life has been crazy and both my boys are sick so I've been a bit busy.

First --- the hockey tournament! The boys won their game Sunday morning so they came in 3rd place. As of now, their record for the new season 6-1-1.

It's a good way to start the season. That Kid said the referees were very one sided and they called out of town teams to the penalty box way more than the local team. That's the way it is in some places, which is SAD. Why can't the refs just call the game as USA Hockey dictates? Oh well, our team will adapt!

While That Kid was gone for the tournament, That Other Kid were invited to go to Six Flags Over Texas with some friends. Now I'm not big on roller coasters and such, but I knew I could handle Looney Tunes area of the park and I knew That Other Kid would have a blast! We went and I was right, he LOVED IT! A couple of pics for your enjoyment!

Hockey Tournament Continues....

Things are going well with the hockey tournament. They have played 3 games against 3 different teams, and will play their final game in the morning for 3rd place.
Their first game Friday night was a good game to start the tournament with - they won 7-1. But, today was a new day -- they played this morning and tied 2-2 and spent a bunch of time in the penalty box. That hurts~! Tonight's game hurt even worse, by giving us our first big lose -- That Kid didn't even give me the score, it hurt too badly. Once again, they spent WAY TOO MUCH TIME in the penalty box and racked up 16 penalties, costing the team their coach in the final game tomorrow. It also awarded them 5 laps around the building AFTER they had played 3- 18 minute periods. Bet they stay outta the box tomorrow!
So far the only injuries have been a sprained ankle on one of the goalies and some blisters on a few players feet....including That Kid's....
Hope they get some sleep tonight and play well tomorrow or it will be a LONG plane ride home

Hockey Tournament

Well, my baby (you know that 17 year olds are still babies in their mommy's eyes) is, as I type, on a plane to Ohio for the first out of town hockey tournament of the season. The trip was planned with less than 1 month notice so I didn't get to attend this one. I'm kind of bummed, as I hate missing out on part of his life. However, I believe he is in good hands and he will be ok. This trip was designed as a boost to get the season off to a good start and also a team builder. There will be some stiff competition and they will have the opportunity to tour a College Campus, so it can be counted as a "college tour weekend" for those players that plan to go to college. It will be a good weekend, just kind of lonely without 1 of my boys here.

I know that God is with him wherever he travels and HE will protect him from all danger, whether in the air, on the ice rink, or in between.

If you get a chance please pray for his team this weekend. Thanks a bunch!

Why God Made Moms.....

My mom and dad recently got a computer so they could send out emails and communicate with relatives. By communicate, I mean send out goofy emails to everyone they know and pass these chain spam emails along to all their children and relatives and aquaintances who also have email. At first I read every one of them. It just didn't seem right to push the delete button on something dear old mom and dad sent. But then it got to the point where they were sending me 1000's of these a day! Don't retired people have anything to do except pass along emails, I think not!

But on occasion, I will see a subjet line that will suck me in and I'll read it. Sometimes it is funny, sometimes it is serious, sometimes I open it and immediately delete it before getting to the end. Well low and behold, last week they sent me a email that appealed to me and made me laugh. Maybe it will make you laugh, too. Who knows, maybe you'll want to hit the delete button..... Let me know your thoughts!!!

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly usestring, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to becausedad's such a goofball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Quiet Time

Everybody needs some quiet time, doncha think? Well I'm actually getting some this afternoon. It's a little hard for me to fathom. It just doesn't happen often and I'm sitting here thinking "what do I do with myself?"
You see, That Other Kid went to his friend's house this morning to play and then we went to the Golden Arches to play in the play area. He started getting grumpy (which is a sure sign of being over tired) so we decided to call it a day. He fell asleep on the way home and STAYED THAT WAY when I brought him in. It's been another hour and he's still zonked! Maybe he should play with his friend EVERYDAY....
That Kid is adjusting to not having a girlfriend to talk to constantly and is doing school work right now, (which is a good thing since he has about 6 hours of it today) so it's quiet in our house.....
Except for dh's cell phone that keeps ringing from his office in the back of the house.....but that's normal fare around here.
The quiet Not So Much! I should be taking advantage of the quiet and doing something productive or good for me, but I'm just basking in the quiet. Hope you get some quiet time today!

God Is Good!!!!!!

Yes indeedy, He is. You know just this weekend I was complaining about how I have 'stinkin' thinkin' about many different aspects of my life. It's time for a change. I made some minor changes immediately, the most significant was to stop fighting/arguing with That Kid about the "crazy girlfriend" and just PRAY!!!! You know that thing God says to do when we want some change or something to happen in our life.



Well go figure, just last night That Kid came into our room at midnight and said, "I have something to tell you". Whenever, he does that it's serious! Well he sits down and says "Crazy Girlfriend and I broke up tonight. We realized it's not going to work out any more". My first reaction was to jump up and down and shout, but I contained myself, externally anyway! We talked more (for about 45 minutes) and I think the beginnings of getting my non-rebellious teenager back is here. Sooooo, THANK YOU GOD!!! and thanks to Sarah for telling me about the series at church.

Stinkin' Thinkin'

When I was a young Christian I heard of a motivational speaker named, Zig Ziglar and I thought he was wonderful. He knows how to motivate you, get you to thinkin' and help you to correct your "stinkin' thinkin' ". Well lately, I've been going through some real 'stinkin' thinkin'. I have been down in the dumps, and I haven't really been able to pull myself out.

Things around my house are stressful, but the stuff going on around here probably is no different than in anyone else's home, with a teenager going throgh a rebellious stage, a preschooler going through a "I need you stage". I need to get it together if I want to have good relationships with the people in my life.

My best friend suggested I try some St. John's Wart to tackle some of the depression. I haven't been able to bring myself to take any yet, although I did buy some. I need to do something, since I can hardly stand to be in the same room with myself! So when Sarah suggested we go to the service at Fellowship Church if we were in the area, I decided to go....the Sermon/Series title is ineed2change.com and I definately need 2 change! It was very a motivational service and got me to thinking even more. I'll be attending the whole series and by the end of it I believe that my 'stinkin' thinkin' will be gone.

I'll keep you updated and if you happen to think about me in the next few weeks prayers would be appreciated.

School Days...

are keeping me busy. You see That Kid is a junior this year so I need to make sure I keep up on grading and record keeping this year, which I have not been very consistent with in past years. I was forced into it last year, since he played hockey for the local high school team. I did pretty good until the hockey season was over, then I slacked off again. Now it's time to catch up on past years as well as keep up with this year. So far.....so good. We have completed 1 full week of short days and 4 days of full days and I have graded AND recorded on Edu-track EVERY DAY! Ain't ya proud!!!
I am!!! and I guess that's all that matters, huh??

My consistency in taking care of school stuff is cutting into MY time after That Other Kid goes to bed, though so I haven't been able to blog or read blogs as much as I want, but that's ok my kids are more important than ME TIME. I have been squeezing some in here and there, just not much.

I also get to report that I have COOKED dinner 2 times this week. Now I know this sounds trivial, but for the past 3 months we have been eating out nearly every night and by eating out I mean, Sonic, Chick-fil-a, McDonalds, you get the idea. YUCK, I am soooo burned out on eating out that I am trying REAL hard to cook dinner. We can do sandwiches or such for lunch, but dinner needs to be REAL FOOD, prepared by ME, not some short order cook.....Let's pray I don't lose my motivation. We have burned soooooo much money this summer, too and that is a big motivator for cooking.
Do you cook? or do you eat out??? I'm curious, cuz we are all so busy these days it's hard to do it all.

I'm Still Alive!

Just in case you were wondering.....Yes, I'm still alive and somewhat well, just excruciatingly busy. So much so, that I haven't had time to blog or hardly even read any which is rare, cuz ya know there's always time to read a blog or two. (grin) But not so this week. Doctor appointments, the start of school, errands, our 23rd anniversary, and our first hockey tournament of the season has kept me running almost non-stop.

Of course, we've had to deal with a crisis or two with That Kid and grumpy and whiny attitudes from That Other Kid, but that is life in our household right now. Hopefully, things will slow down a little this week. I don't think I can go on too long keeping up with all the excitement.

On 2 happy notes -- which are what I am choosing to focus on right now --

That Kid is no longer going out with his CRAZY Girlfriend, yeah!!! and I had a nice date with dh on our 23rd anniversary Friday. We had our wonderful babysitter come take care of That Other Kid (since the built in one had to work) and we got to go out to eat BY OURSELVES!!!!! We went to a nice restaurant and sat at a REAL table....and I didn't have to dismantle chicken strips -- that's a story for another day---Then we went to walk around the mall and just talk, which is what we did when we dated and first got married. It was a nice end to a stressful week!

We won all 3 of our hockey games this weekend so we are in 1st place, so we play again in the morning, so I need to fold some laundry and iron some clothes for That Kid...they have to show up in dress clothes, before changing into warmup clothes.....He looks sooooooo good!!! I love him so much, please pray he is safe. Hockey is a tough sport, but he loves it!

Have a good Labor Day and don't labor too much.